Bolling for Lieutenant Governor - Setting the Record Straight on the Life Issue

Earlier I wrote about the attacks on Bolling's record and why I support Bill Bolling for Lieutenant Governor. Attorney General. In a recent e-mail, Mark Obenshain responds to yet another e-mail from the Muldoon campaign and lays out Bolling's record on social issues. Coming from someone who has worked with Bolling for years in the state senate I think it is definitely a must read article. I hope you will join with me in voting for Bill Bolling for Lieutenant Governor at the RPV state convention on May 30th.

Friends,

You may have recently received an email from Patrick Muldoon, who is running against Bill Bolling for the nomination for Lieutenant Governor. That email is full of so much inaccurate information that I felt compelled to write and set the record straight.

While I always welcome competition as a method to strengthen our party, and
while I believe that we must hold our public officials accountable for their stances, it cannot be at the expense of the truth.

I’m sad to say that a small group, determined to derail our victory in November, appear to be attempting to smear and falsely attack a man who has been a faithful friend to our conservative cause, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling.

I have known Bill Bolling and served with him in the Senate for years, and I can tell you that his opponent is not telling the truth about Bill’s record.

Let me set the record straight, point by point.

Claim: Bill did not oppose making the Plan B Morning After pill available to minors.

Truth: Bill Bolling has consistently opposed making the morning
after pill available to minors.

While his opponent has no record on Plan B, as a member of the State Senate
Bill Bolling:

• Voted to require parental consent before minors can get Plan B
• Voted against allowing Plan B to be distributed over the counter without a
  physician's prescription
• Voted against allowing Plan B to be distributed on Virginia's college
  campuses

Claim: Bill supported mandatory HPV vaccinations for grade-schoolers.

Truth: Bill Bolling has never supported mandating HPV vaccinations
for grade-schoolers, or anyone else for that matter.

In fact, when legislation to mandate the HPV vaccine was introduced in the General Assembly Bill publicly stated his opposition to that legislation and he fought for the no-cause parental opt-out that was ultimately included in the legislation that passed the Senate 40-0. Bill’s position was consistent with the position of The Family Foundation and the Catholic Diocese of Virginia: that parents should be made aware of the link between HPV and cervical cancer, but the vaccination should be a choice that each parent makes for themselves.

Claim: Bill campaigned around the state supporting the HPV vaccine in exchange for contributions from its manufacturer, Merck Pharmaceuticals.

Truth: Bill has never encouraged anyone to get the HPV vaccine.

In 2007, Lieutenant Governor Bolling and his wife, Jean Ann, participated in a bi-partisan national effort called “Ending Cervical Cancer in Our Lifetime.” This program was sponsored by the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association and was aimed at helping women make the connection between the HPV virus and cervical cancer. The program encouraged women to go to their doctors for regular cervical cancer screenings. It did not encourage anyone to get the HPV vaccine. And by the way, the last campaign contribution Bill recieved from Merck was $500, and that was six years ago!

Claim: Bill supports a “hook-up cultural agenda” of promiscuity and unprotected sex, and he is a “favorite Republican” of Planned Parenthood.

Truth: This one is simply laughable.

Bill Bolling is one of our most consistent conservative leaders. He is a family man, a dedicated Christian and a Sunday School teacher. He fought Tim Kaine’s attempts to eliminate state funding for abstinence education. He cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of denying state funds to Planned Parenthood. But there are probably two statistics that sum it up best:

Bill Bolling has a 100% lifetime rating from the Virginia Society for
Human Life.

Bill Bolling has a 0% lifetime rating from NARAL/Planned
Parenthood.

It is unfortunate that Patrick Muldoon feels the need to mangle the record of a good man in order to further his campaign, but the sad truth is that he has no positive record to stand on. By contrast, Bill Bolling’s record speaks for itself:

• 100% pro-family voting record from The Family Foundation
• Endorsed by the Virginia Society for Human Life (2005)
• Supported parental notification and consent legislationSupported a ban on
  partial birth abortions
• Supported higher patient safety standards for abortion clinics
• Cast the tie-breaking vote to deny state funding to Planned Parenthood
• Fought to restore abstinence education funding that Governor Kaine stripped
  from the budget
• Led the fight to pass the Marriage Amendment

That’s a solid conservative record that we can be proud of.

A little over a year ago Bill Bolling put aside his personal ambitions and decided not to seek the Governor’s Mansion. Our party has benefited greatly from Bill’s sacrifice. Perhaps others should follow his example.

If we are going to win in November, we have no time for the politics
of negativity and personal destruction.

I’m proud to support Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and I urge you to do so as well.

Senator Mark Obenshain

Harrisonburg, Virginia